We'd been hearing good things about Papa John's so we decided to try it out.

It's quite difficult to get a seat because the place is always full and is a bit small. Good thing we reserved early.

The man himself :-D

We got the thick crust bacon cheeseburger in the smallest size. Look at that cheese! The dough was soft and fairly tasty and they didn't scrimp on any ingredients.

The pepperoncini (L) and the garlic butter sauce (R) came free with the pizza. Extra dips like the BBQ sauce in the middle cost just P20. Usually when we eat pizza, there are a few discarded crust piece left on the plate. This time though, paired with the garlic butter, it was such a heavenly treat! You'll really want to mop everything up with it.

We ordered the italian meatballs to round out the meal. This was the perfect size for the two of us combined with the pizza. We weren't expecting the meat to be so flavorful; every bite was so good drenched in the cheesy tomato sauce. What a treat!

Papa John's

The Veranda, Robinsons Galleria

FASHION

Topman henley, BKKchinos and Cubao X deck shoes

P: D and I were really digging the alpine prints that came out over the winter season. I had to snap this one up at one of the sales for a great price. I love good finds during sale season, it's so fulfilling :)

F21 neon pink tank and sunglasses, random black tank,

Weekender wide-leg pants, Topshop leopard bag

D: My new favorite pants!

I know these are probably glorified "elephant" pants circa-90s but they are so fun to wear.

Plus the fabric is so lightweight that they are perfect to wear while working on the playground with the kids!

It was a good idea to wear them with black cycling shorts underneath since they're kind of sheer under the light.

Funky bracelet-ring thing from my aunt. I gotta ask her to make more of these in other colors!

P: I decided to go check out Lolo Dad's in Manila for a refreshing deviation from our usual haunts. Also, D had a hankering for some soft shell crab and I'd read that the cafe had a good offering.

Cozy interiors, good for a date or intimate gathering but the lighting was kind of dark so our pictures don't really do the food any justice.

Soft-shell crab parmigiano with blue crab and cucumber salad

P: The breading was a little thick but this was pretty good. I loved the little bits of salmon roe and how the freshness of the salad paired with the heavy parmigiano.

Complimentary passionfruit sorbet to "cleanse the palette"

Rack of lamb with three cheese risotto

D: This was so rich! The lamb was juicy and cooked just the way I like it (slightly on the well-done side, without being dry). The risotto was so flavorful but a tad too salty at times.

Overall, I'd definitely order this again.

Halibut and prawn with wild mushroom rice

P: The seafood was really soft and not gummy at all. It went well with the strong-tasting sauce. The rice was nice and fluffy and had that umami taste from the mushrooms.

It was a well-composed dish.

Dessert at Maitre Chocolatier along Jupiter Street (beside Fiamma)

Chocolate cocktails that seemed was so enticing, seemed being the operative word.

Ferrero hazelnut crunch cake

This is one of their best-sellers and for good reason. It mimicked the Ferrero chocolate balls perfectly and was even better than the original. It's super dense and moist and we loved that crunch at the bottom.

Lindtini: Absolut Raspberry with creme de cacao

This drink did not go down smooth at all. I don't know if we just can't handle our alcohol but this was waaay too strong. It tasted like cough medicine mixed with paint thinner (not that I would know what paint thinner tastes like, but still). Yech.

FASHION

Shirt from Habana, Topman belt and pants, Cubao X shoes

P: Decided to take my new loafers out for a spin so I paired them with my navy chinos and oxford shirt. The red shoes had enough flash for the outfit so I went simple elsewhere.

Topshop dress, vintage clutch from my lola, JS Dany platforms

D: I needed a roomy dress because I knew we'd be eating quite a bit so this pale pink number was perfect, not to mention festive for the occasion.

Oh here's the Deborah Lippman's Happy Birthday on top of a mint green shade!

Wish a new pair of shoes would greet me every time I came home from work!

I saw this pair in our last visit to Cubao Expo and I knew that it just wouldn't feel right not to get them.

I've been wanting to get a pair of oxblood oxfords (wordplay!) with a fringe and tassels for the longest time. I found these at Mark R, the purveyors of fine leather oxfords and boat shoes made in good old Marikina.

The foot bed of the shoe is so plush! It feels like you're walking on pillows.

Can't wait to pair these with shorts, chinos slacks, and on and on...

D's

Dear World,

I don't really like the idea of getting older and having to deal with the effects of gravity